Rory frowned as his gaze moved from the clock on the wall to the sleeping body on the small sofa in his father's office. Sabastian had clung to his side all night, only leaving the office to use the bathroom. Rin had been in a few times throughout the night but had finally given up and gone to Rory's bedroom about an hour or so ago. He blew out a sigh as he pushed the old leather office chair back and stood up from it. He silently crept toward the door and turned the knob as quietly as he could. There was no point waking Sabastian up earlier than necessary.
Rory crept down the hallway, wincing as the old wooden floorboards creaked with each step. He held his breath as he peered around the corner. Dillon was lounging in Ben's favorite recliner, his laptop open on his lap, playing an anime, and his headphones covering his ears. Was he asleep or just really into his show? Was he distracted enough that we could slip past him? Rory's mind raced as he tried to work out his next moves. A test… His eyes moved toward the kitchen. Rory tiptoed through the living room and small dining room, sneaking glances as he went. When all seemed well, Rory made his way toward the back door to make sure his mom had followed his instructions earlier. As asked, all the switches for the outside lights were off, and she'd even left his keys lying on top of an envelope on the back catch-all table. He opened the envelope to see cash and a handwritten letter. His eyes shifted to the floor below the table. A duffel bag was tucked away beneath it. He quickly shoved the envelope in the side pocket of the duffel bag. He carefully tested the knob of the back door, grimacing as the door creaked slightly as he pushed it open. It had been a while since he'd been here. Was the layout still the same? Could he navigate it in the dark? He stepped out onto the back stone walkway and waited as his eyes adjusted to the dark.
"What are you doing out here?"
Rory's heart thudded painfully against his chest. His legs trembled as he forced himself to stay standing, although everything in him wanted to crash to the pavers beneath his feet. The soft, approaching footsteps seemed to reverberate around them, drawing the lulling song of the bugs to a still silence. Hands gripped his arms and spun him around. He squeezed his eyes closed, refusing to meet the gaze he could feel burning into him.
"You're not trying to run again, are you?"
Rory refused to answer… couldn't answer. He knew his voice would break, would tremble. His body was probably already trembling enough to give him away.
"It's dark…" Dillon cocked his head to the side, his eyes finally adjusting to the faint light provided by the nearly full moon. "You're barefoot and it's chilly tonight… You're going to get sick." Dillon tightened his hold as he pulled Rory closer, trying to offer his own body heat, but a trembling hand pushed against him. Dillon furrowed his brow. "What is it, now? You've been acting weird all evening. You won't even look at me… You've barely spoken to Rin." He pressed his palm against Rory's chest. Dillon's lip curved in a puzzled smirk. "Did I scare you just now? I'm sorry. I should have announced myself better before coming up on you like that with all that's been going on. It was insensitive of me… but…" He tilted his head as Rory's hand clamped over his and tried to shove it away. "Wouldn't the pounding go away once you realized it was me… unless it's because of something else? You can talk to me, you know."
Rory frowned, finally forcing himself to meet Dillon's gaze. His emerald, green eyes sparkled against his pale ivory skin under the glow of the moon. It was ethereal to say the least, but not enough to enchant Rory into forgiveness. "You already know I was at Sabastian's that day you showed up… I know what kind of person you are. Don't try to act like you're the better person. I know you're not."
Dillon rolled his eyes. "You're going to hold something against me without knowing my half of the story? What has Sabastian told you? If you've taken the time to listen to his story, why not listen to mine before you cast your final judgement?"
"Is there any side of a story that could justify the way you and Rin treat people when you think they have no use to you?" Rory snapped back.
A muscle in Dillon's jaw twitched. "This isn't just about Sabastian is it?"
Rory shrugged as he tried to pull away from Dillon's tight grip once again, but failed.
Dillon's eyes moved around the dark yard. "Is there anywhere out here to sit? Somewhere we can talk in privacy?"
Rory shrugged again. "I've not been home in years, how would I know what's out here and what's not?"
"Fair point." Dillon's eyes landed on a screened-in gazebo with seating beneath it. "What about over there? Looks good enough, right?" He didn't wait for an answer as he scooped Rory into his arms and made his way along the pavers toward the shadowed structure.
"Put me down! I can walk!" Rory protested as he pounded his fists against Dillon's chest to no avail.
"Why would I let you? You're barefoot." Dillon muttered, not taking his focus off the dark path. He shifted Rory in his arms as he tugged open the squeaky screen door and stepped inside. Dillon cautiously slid his feet around the floor so as to not stumble or bump into anything inside the dark enclosure. He gingerly lowered them onto an outdoor sofa, and though Rory tried to fight it, he held Rory on his lap. "Now, let's talk."
"As if you've given me a choice in the matter…" Rory grumbled. He glared up at Dillon as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You realize this is part of the problem, right? With you and Rin both, I might add. Neither of you gives the people around you choices. It's always what you want or nothing…" To make his point, he tried to break out of Dillon's embrace once again.
Dillon held him tighter. "Not true. If it were, we would be doing more than talking right now." He pressed his growing erection against Rory's bottom. "And unless you want this to get worse, I suggest you hold still. I'm not like Rin; there are consequences for wiggling and squirming on my lap."
Rory's eyes bugged, and he went as stiff as a board.
Dillon's white teeth gleamed in the darkness. "That's what I thought." He shifted Rory into a more comfortable position before asking. "Now, are you ready to listen?"
Rory shrugged. "Sure… What difference does it make? You're going to hold me here until I listen either way, right?"
Dillon's grin widened. "Well, if you don't want to talk, I'm sure we can find something else to do out here."
"I'll listen." Rory snapped quickly.
Dillon chuckled. "That's what I thought." Dillon blew out a sigh. "Where to start… Hum… Did Sabastian tell you that we knew each other from before?"
"Before?"
Dillon nodded. "Yeah, he was in the same orphanage as I was sent to right after my parents died…"
Rory's heart fell. "No… I… I never knew…"
"Ah… So, then perhaps I need to back things up a bit further." He pulled the pillows from around them and piled them against the wooden arm of the small sofa, then turned. He reclined and guided Rory between his legs before pulling him down against him once again. "We're going to be here a minute, so you might as well get comfortable." Dillon waited patiently as Rory squirmed around against him. Once Rory seemed settled, Dillon rested his arms around Rory's chest and began to speak softly. "Where to begin… You were told about Rin and me being in the all-boys' boarding school… I guess I could start there. Like Rin, I was the only child of self-made, wealthy parents, and like Rin, I was also a problem child. So, my parents sent me off to boarding school about two years before Rin showed up. We were both 11 by the time Rin got there." Dillon blew out a heavy sigh. "Things were interesting to say the least for the first few years. I didn't know about the journals or novels at the time." Dillon scoffed at himself as he continued. "No, I thought I was the luckiest boy in the world at the time…" He shook his head. "But soon enough, everything changed. My parents had gone on a business trip and their helicopter crashed. No one survived the crash… My only other relative was a grandfather who had been in a nursing home for several years already with dementia, and an aunt who had cut ties with the family long before I'd even been born. My parents' assets were immediately frozen. I was pulled from school and tossed into a group home. That's where I met Sabastian for the first time. We didn't get close or anything. Hell, I barely spoke to anyone the entire time I was there… which wasn't long…" Dillon chuckled as he shook his head. Irritation was now evident in his voice. "Rodric swooped in like my own personal knight in shining armor and rescued me… or so I'd thought at the time…"
"But instead, he tricked you…" Rory supplied. "I do recall mention of that much."
Dillon nodded. "Yes, everything of my parents automatically went to me. They had wills made out and had already named me as their successor with their company. My name was on shares… You name it… Rodric and his legal team found ways to first 'adopt' me, then slowly sell off my parents' company piece by piece over the years before I was old enough to properly inherit it."
Rory frowned as he tried to catch a glimpse of Dillon's shadowed face in the darkness. "That's horrible… but still, what does it have to do with treating Sabastian like shit? Or this?" He lifted Dillon's arm and let it fall back into place on his chest.
Dillon snorted out a laugh. "That part not so much… Just filling in a few blanks. So, back to Sabastian then… We met for a second time when Rin and I came back to France several years later to 'celebrate' the final release of Rodric's novel series based on our lives. To say the least, there was a lot of drinking and drugs. We happened to run into Sabastian at a club in the area, and he recognized me, clung to us the entire night, went back to our hotel… one thing led to another, and we ended up bringing him back to the US with us."
"Why?" Rory couldn't help asking.
Dillon shrugged. "Partially out of pity for him… Partially because he reminded me of that time in my life, and I couldn't look away… He knows that and has used it against me as a weapon so many times now…" Dillon's voice drifted off. "Sabastian is the kind of person who preys on kindness and vulnerability. I'm sure that you think he's honestly trying to help you and befriend you right now, but I assure you, he's just trying to find a way to use you."
Rory shrugged. "He's said as much… Or at least he did until you showed up at his place like a madman… Besides, aren't you and Rin only keeping me around while I'm valuable to you as well? What happens when I'm no longer needed? What happens when I decide I can't be a part of your twisted little family you're trying to build?"
Dillon snuggled against Rory as he whispered against his ear. "You keep saying that, yet look at you…"
Rory pulled against his hold pointlessly. "What meaning does this have if it's forced?"
Dillon's playful smile faded, and his arms fell away from Rory. "Fine… but you'll change your mind. There's no doubt in my mind about that." He pushed Rory away as he stood. He glared down at Rory for several long seconds before finally bending and scooping him back into his arms. "Complain all you want, but the fact that you're barefoot and it's cold out hasn't changed."
Rory didn't protest this time. He knew it would be pointless; instead, he was silent as Dillon sat him down in the back doorway. He stepped in front of the keys and duffle bag, hoping his body would be enough to hide them as Dillon passed by.
"I'm going to bed… You should do the same. We're leaving early in the morning. It was a fucking long drive here."
Rory nodded. "I will… Good night…"
Dillon raked his hand through his hair. "Night…"
Rory watched as he vanished through the house. He held his breath as he listened for the creak of the stairs. He waited for the distant slam of an upstairs door before he allowed himself to breathe again. Without shutting the back door, he ran to the office. He quickly shook Sabastian awake, pressing his hand to the sleepy man's mouth as he did. "Hurry, we don't have much time!" Rory whispered hoarsely. He rushed to the desk and slid all his things into his laptop bag before darting back out the door.
Sabastian followed close behind Rory, his sleep-clouded eyes struggling to focus in the dimly lit house. "What time is it?" He whispered as they made it to the living room to retrieve their bags.
"Past 4 AM," Rory muttered as his eyes darted toward the stairs. "Dillon just went upstairs right before I came to wake you."
Sabastian frowned and tugged on Rory's arm as he darted toward the kitchen. "Then we should give it another twenty to thirty minutes. It takes Dillon a while to fall asleep."
Rory bit his lip nervously as his eyes shot back to the room they'd just run from. He shook his head. "My car is quiet, and mom made sure to put him in the room farthest from the driveway."
Sabastian released Rory's arm but still hesitated. "What about your room?"
Rory chewed on his lip. "It overlooks the side yard and part of the driveway, but I doubt Rin would be able to hear anything. I turned the fan on in there earlier…"
Sabastian fumbled with his bag for a few seconds before finally nodding and moving forward.
Rory snatched his keys and handed the duffel bag to Sabastian before slipping on his shoes. He cautiously stepped outside and shut the door behind Sabastian as he stepped out next. "Stay close to the house and be careful. It's been a long time since I've been here, and I didn't get a chance to look around earlier."
Sabastian clung to Rory's arm as they stepped into the heavy shadows of the house. They both stumbled several times, each struggling to keep from falling and dropping their bags. Rory whimpered and quickly spun, slamming his hand over Sabastian's mouth as a Begel-sized animal darted across the path ahead of them.
"What was that!" Sabastian hissed around Rory's hand.
"Possum, maybe… Come on, we have to keep going."
Sabastian tightened his hold on Rory's arm. "I hate this! Why did those crazy bastards have to follow us all the way here!"
"Shh!" Rory huffed out as he scuffled and stumbled along the dark trail.
They both breathed audible sighs of relief when they stepped back into the moonlight that flooded the driveway. They both quickly pulled open the car doors and flung the bags over the front seats before jumping inside.
"Should we try to kick it into neutral and push it out of the driveway first?" Sabastian suggested.
Rory shook his head. "It's an automatic, and there's not enough of an incline. It would take longer and have a greater risk of getting caught." He didn't hesitate as he turned the key in the ignition and quickly shifted the car into drive… and for good reason… Because it wouldn't have mattered anyway. No matter what they could have done, it wouldn't have kept the eyes trained on them from the window above from seeing them leave.